False alarm prompts plane to land in Kenner

A Southwest Airlines flight traveling from Tampa, Fla., to Las Vegas made an emergency landing at Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner on Friday when a passenger discovered what appeared to be a suspicious white substance in the bathroom.

The landing, between 11 a.m. and noon, turned out to be unnecessary, airline spokeswoman Marilee McInnis said. Hazardous-materials investigators determined the substance was dust from toilet paper, she said.

The aircraft, carrying 136 passengers, conducted what McInnis called a "remote park," coming to a halt on the runway some distance from the terminal. The plane remained on the ground for about an hour.

Passengers did not deplane, she said. After the investigation and refueling, it landed in Las Vegas about an hour late.